The Well Read President

Theodore Roosevelt was a book lover: the twenty-sixth president was known to read a book a day (at least), and some historians speculate that he may have been the most well-read president in U.S. history. This interactive timeline, created using Knight Lab's TimelineJS visualization, is dedicated to the books Roosevelt read throughout his life. Designed by public historian Karen Sieber, this timeline highlights the books that Roosevelt wrote about in his correspondence, which is available courtesy of the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. In each entry, visitors can learn about a book Roosevelt read and check out the accompanying letter through a direct link to the digital library. In addition, visitors can view an image from each book. For those interested in reading some of Roosevelt's selections themselves, many of the books featured in this timeline are in the public domain.